Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location:Santa Rosa, Calif., Main Office
We could go on discussing ways our publishing world is being rocked, but the final point I want to make this week is that we’ve all been thinking horizontally when the world has shifted to a vertical perspective.
What do I mean by that?
Publishers in the past have sought to reach as many readers as possible with the news about a book. A scatter shot has worked well for them, as it hit a bull’s eye with a variety of readers. But today both publishers and authors need to think not about reaching as broad an audience as possible (horizontal thinking) but reaching an audience as deeply as possible (vertical thinking).
So if you write books (fiction or nonfiction) that center around a gardening theme, it makes sense to reach the gardeners of the world. How does one do that? On the Internet, mostly.
Gardening blogs and websites abound. By writing guest blogs, by appearing at primo gardening centers in your area, by signing your novel in the gardening section of bookstores, you’re going vertical, focusing on a specific audience, rather than setting up a table at a bookstore’s front door, hoping to snag readers.
Part of thinking vertically is also to collaborate rather than to compete. If you know a publishing gardening maven, have a booksigning in which the other author’s nonfiction book is signed right alongside your novel. Or have both of you talk about gardening tips.
The point is, your job is to connect with a vertical group of readers rather than hoping to snag a reader from a large school of readers, much like hoping to catch one fish out of an entire school of fish.
A focused perspective pays off nowadays. Rock our world!
All of us would enjoy hearing your response to:
–What trends do you spy that you want to reflect in your writing?
–How are you thinking vertically (even if you didn’t know that was what you were doing)?
–What are you doing to collaborate with writers who also are trying to reach the same audience?
Love this idea of vertical thinking—drawing upon establishing deeper connections. Some trends I’ve noticed that I hope my writing reflects are Christians who are taking more risks, writing that delves into the mystery and tension of faith, and how Latayne Scott described it on the Novel Matters blog, “More reach read than beach read.”
I have some exciting out of the box brainstorming ideas I can’t wait to share with an agent someday. Because I write women’s fiction, I find myself thinking of my reader often. I wonder where she shops, what her dinner table conversations are like. I debate whether she attends PTA meetings. Women are an extremely fun market to write for.
Finally, social networking has opened up so many possibilities for collaborating with fellow writers (and that’s how I’ve always viewed it b/c we each have a unique voice to put out in the world). Guest posting, certainly. Sharing marketing strategies that work. Investing time building online relationships and whenever possible meeting with folks face to face. It’s always been a joy for me to uplift and encourage other women so when it comes to my field it’s only natural for me to pour into other writers, cheering them on in this journey.
Excellent questions.
~ Wendy
“Part of thinking vertically is also to collaborate rather than to compete.”
I’ve been amazed at the way so many authors in the CBA look at their craft in this way. The way they share and reach out in so many ways amazes me, but you’ve got me thinking about it in an new way. Thanks!
Thanks for this post, it emphasizes some things I’ve been focusing on.
I’ve been thinking vertically by participating on those blogs of writers whose purpose is to inspire their readers through their writing, specifically Christian writers. I feel that this sort of communication will pay off in the long run.
This post embraced so well what Seth Godin talks about in his book “Tribes”. Forming a tribe really is vertical thinking. Right on target! Thank you!
I have always loved and appreciated this idea of collaborating with others in coordinating access to readers. Some of my favorite authors have done this, and in doing so, I became aware of other writers I might not have connected with by this trend. So, I think it works.
Finding where you fit in isn’t always easy, but I do think about this. I’ve appreciated this series this week.
Thinking vertically is great. I love quilting, so each of my books have that theme woven in. The great things is it will bridge from my historical novel, Redemption Road, to my current WIP an inspirational suspense. I started a quilt when I was eight years old w/ my grandmother and have always loved them and the art of doing them my hand. I can still picture her quilt frame dangling from the living room ceiling, awaiting the next master piece to be completed in its wooden arms.
I do blog tours and book reviews and read that blog tours are making a difference in spreading the word and reaching a wide variety of readers, not to mention the blog tour people themselves become part of the customer base, too, because we find new authors we have never heard of and get into their books.
I was reading Bryan Davis’ Starlighter book for a blog tour and had never heard of him. I enjoyed it so much I plan on buying his sequal in September!
Because my niche seems to be either very small or very unique, I have connected with authors and writers outside my genre. We exchange book reviews and some readers. I don’t know if that is horizontal thinkging or vertical. He writers military thrillers and pirate books while I write Christian children’s sci-fi/fantasy.